Written Answers Nos. 612-625
613. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in respect of State boards under his Department's remit the number of appointments to State boards; the number of vacancies in State boards ; the number of vacancies in State boards publicly advertised; and the number of appointments to State boards drawn directly from the public advertisement process, in the period March 2011 to 2015 to date. [23587/15]
View answerThe nomination and appointment process for boards of bodies under the aegis of the Department of Health is set out in legislation. In line with Government Decision S180/20/10/1617 of 2014, relating to the advertising for expressions of interest in vacancies on State Boards, and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Guidelines, my Department in conjunction with the new Public Appointments Service website portal, Stateboards.ie, currently advertises for board vacancies as they arise, where I, as Minister for Health, have nominating rights under relevant legislation. In a number of cases the Minister for Health may decide to re-appoint a board member for a second term, which is in keeping with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's Guidelines. I also appoint members on the nomination of various bodies in accordance with the relevant legislation. I have no function in these nominations other than the actual appointments.
There have been 586 appointments to Boards under the aegis of the Department of Health since March 2011 to date. Of these, 184 appointments have been made on the nomination of bodies specified in legislation. 402 appointments, therefore, have been made where the Minister for Health has nominating rights, and 169 of these have been appointed following public advertising campaigns.
Since March 2011, there have been 328 positions advertised. It should be noted that there were no advertising campaigns in 2011, but 34 appointments were made where the Minister had nominating rights.
Since the development by PAS of an enhanced process in January this year, with the involvement of Board chairs, my Department and PAS officials in setting out the specific skills and competencies required to fill vacant board positions, it is much easier for me to select my nominee from the list of persons emerging from that process.
|
- |
Nos. |
|
Appointments since March 2011 |
586 |
|
Non-Ministerial nominations |
184 |
|
Ministerial nominations |
402 |
|
Number of positions advertised |
328 |
|
Appointed following advertising process |
169 |
614. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce a ban on the sale of energy drinks to children under 18 years of age; to regulate the quantity of caffeine, taurine or other substances used in some energy drinks that may have negative health effects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23597/15]
View answerFood legislation is harmonised throughout Europe and Member States may not adopt national measures which prohibit, impede or restrict the free movement of goods which comply with EU legislation. Because high caffeine drinks are not recommended for certain population groups, specific EU labelling requirements apply for beverages exceeding 150 mg/l. of caffeine. The labelling must specify that they have a high caffeine content, are not recommended for children, pregnant or breast-feeding women and must also state the caffeine content expressed per mg/100 ml. This does not apply to tea and coffee where the name of the food includes 'tea' and 'coffee'.
Any future action on taurine will be informed by scientific recommendation by the European Food Safety Authority before being considered for EU regulation by Member States.
I have asked the Safefood to undertake a review of the position regarding energy drinks in Ireland and I expect that a report will be presented to me in this matter in the near future.
615. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, for each year from 2009 to 2014 and for 2015 to date, the total number of freedom of information requests received by his Department; the total refused, granted or partly granted; the total number of successful appeals, partly successful appeals and refusals of appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23610/15]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is set out in the table below.
|
- |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Received* |
214 |
192 |
169 |
340 |
239 |
223 |
153 |
|
Granted |
54 |
71 |
44 |
67 |
54 |
34 |
26 |
|
Part-Granted |
53 |
38 |
68 |
171 |
93 |
81 |
34 |
|
Refused |
43 |
29 |
12 |
55 |
32 |
32 |
21 |
|
Internally Reviewed |
11 |
8 |
5 |
8 |
10 |
3 |
4 |
|
Affirmed |
3 |
5 |
2 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
|
Varied |
7 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
Annulled |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Appealed to the Office of the Information Commissioner |
5 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
2** |
0 |
1 |
|
Affirmed |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Varied |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Annulled |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Agreement reached between parties |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
*Includes requests which were subsequently withdrawn, referred to another more appropriate body, dealt with administratively outside the FOI Act or are yet to be completed.
**One ongoing.
616. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made in relation to an application for a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23618/15]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
617. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made in relation to an application for a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23619/15]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
618. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be made in relation to an application for a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23620/15]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
619. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number, name and date of Bills initiated in his Department that have been subject to the pre-legislative scrutiny procedure in the Oireachtas. [23641/15]
View answer623. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number, name and date of Bills initiated in his Department since September 2013. [23667/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 619 and 623 together.
Twelve Bills initiated in my Department have been published since September 2013. Information sought by the Deputy on those Bills is set out in the table below.
In regard to pre-legislative scrutiny, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children held hearings on the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill in March to April 2015.
The Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill had been referred for pre-legislative scrutiny in September 2014.
Previously to that, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children held a series of public hearings on the general scheme of the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill, concluding in February 2014.
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children also held public hearings on the heads of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill in May 2013. The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013 (No. 66 of 2013) was published on 18 June 2013. I consider pre-legislative scrutiny an important and integral aspect of the legislative process.
|
Title of Bill |
Number of Bill |
Date of publication |
|
Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013 |
106 of 2013 |
7 November 2013 |
|
Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2013 |
112 of 2013 |
14 November 2013 |
|
Health Identifiers Bill 2013 |
130 of 2013 |
13 December 2013 |
|
Health Service Executive (Financial Matters) Bill 2013 |
136 of 2013 |
20 December 2013 |
|
Public Health (Sunbeds) Bill 2013 |
140 of 2013 |
23 December 2013 |
|
Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2014 |
34 of 2014 |
23 April 2014 |
|
Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014 |
54 of 2014 |
13 June 2014 |
|
Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 |
77 of 2014 |
22 July 2014 |
|
Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2014 |
80 of 2014 |
1 August 2014 |
|
Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2014 |
101 of 2014 |
6 November 2014 |
|
Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2015 |
21 of 2015 |
10 March 2015 |
|
Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2015 |
30 of 2015 |
27 March 2015 |
620. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the percentage of the population over 65 years of age who are receiving home help hours in counties Clare and Limerick, and in north County Tipperary. [23651/15]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
621. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will examine and expedite an application for a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry, as the person has submitted all relevant information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23653/15]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
622. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding residential care in respect of a person who has Prader-Willi syndrome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23655/15]
View answerIn relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service issue, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he can contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with the HSE.
624. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the total amount spent in each of the years 2011 to 2014 and in 2015 to date on staff subsistence payments and staff taxi payments; if his Department has been audited for tax compliance on these payments and other benefits in kind; if these processes have been revised in view of the Revenue Commissioners' concerns over practices in other State bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23683/15]
View answerThe information requested is detailed in the following table:
|
Year |
Subsistence €000 |
Taxi €000 |
|
2011 |
75 |
17 |
|
2012 |
138 |
22 |
|
2013 |
148 |
30 |
|
2014 |
94 |
19 |
The information in respect of 2015 is currently being collated and will be provided to the Deputy when it is available.
My Department was audited by the Revenue Commissioners for the period from 1 January 2012 to 5 September 2014 in respect of all relevant payments made by the Department and no additional liability was identified during the audit.
625. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, by year, all external consultant reports commissioned by his Department since March 2011; the costs per report; the company involved; the title of the report; and publication date. [23699/15]
View answerIt is the policy in my Department only to engage the services of external consultants where it is felt to be appropriate and cost-effective, taking account of Government decisions and policy on the matter. The information requested by the Deputy is presented in the following table for the period March 2011 to June 2014, as per my reply to the Deputy of July 2014
I will revert to the Deputy should the Department have engaged any consultants to prepare reports since then.
|
Year |
Organisation/ Consultants |
Name of External Report |
Current status of the Report |
Amount/ Cost |
|
2014 |
Sinéad Shannon |
Review of the international evidence and literature on selection criteria for the Outcomes Framework (Whilst this piece of research which was commissioned in December and approved in January, no payments have been made to date) |
Ongoing |
5,000 |
|
2013 |
Prospectus Strategy Consultants |
Review of Staffing Resources and Organisational Structure of the Department of Health |
Report completed but not published, for Department's use only |
72,940 |
|
2013 |
Deloitte and Touche Consultants Ltd |
Review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme |
Ongoing |
36,900 |
|
2013 |
Matheson Ormsby Prentice |
Legal Research and advisory services on the design and implementation of an insurance based health system providing universal coverage in Ireland |
Not Published |
123,000 |
|
2013 |
Prof Oonagh Walsh |
Report on symphysiotomy in Ireland, 1944-1984 |
Not published |
49,500 |
|
2013 |
Ernst & Young |
Reports relating to the development of the Programme Management Office (cost includes a range of consultancy services) |
Ongoing – internal reports |
79,212 |
|
2013 |
Dr Sinead Hanafin & Associates |
Review of the Traveller Health Advisory Committee |
Finalised |
6,150 |
|
2013 |
Prospectus |
Overview of the development of the Health & Wellbeing Programme |
Finalised |
15,156 |
|
2013 |
Research Matters |
Provision of Research Management Services |
Ongoing |
74,490 |
|
2013 |
Institute of Public Health |
Analysis re Consultation (Tobacco Products Directive) |
Completed - not yet published |
5,000 |
|
2013 |
Professor Hammond |
Research on Standardised Packaging- Irish Context |
Ongoing |
5,000 |
|
2013 |
CJP Consultants |
Preparation of report on the efficacy of minimum pricing and other public policies for alcohol. |
Published on website |
31,488 |
|
2013 |
Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland |
Annual Report of the Alcohol Marketing Communications Monitoring Body (AMCMB) |
Published |
21,115 |
|
2012 |
McGee Pharma International |
Labelling of Medicinal Products in both Irish and English |
Completed |
13,644 |
|
2012 |
Goodbody Stockbrokers and Matheson Ormsby Prentice Solicitors |
Further Analysis of Options in relation to the restructuring of the Irish Private Health Insurance Market |
Report completed |
62,349 |
|
2012 |
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform with the assistance of PwC |
Review of the Department of Health's Parliamentary and Legislative Processes |
Report completed but not published - for Department's use only |
18,020 |
|
2012 |
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform |
A survey of experience and qualifications in the Department of Health |
Report completed but not published - for Department's use only |
None |
|
2012 |
Michael Collins Associates |
Supplementary Report and Addendum on Cost Comparison for the Dolphin Review Group |
Completed not published, commercially sensitive |
12,423 |
|
2012 |
John Martin |
Further assessment of planning issues in relation to proposed sites for the Dolphin Review Group |
Published |
6,000 |
|
2012 |
Simon Clear |
Further assessment of planning issues in relation to proposed sites for the Dolphin Review Group |
Published |
9,475 |
|
2012 |
The Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCC, in conjunction with the Centre for Health Policy and Management, TCD. |
The Efficiency Review of the BreastCheck Screening Programme |
Published February 2013 |
71,270 |
|
2012 |
Mr Gerard Mullaly |
Reforming Chronic Care: Financing and Delivering Integrated Chronic Care |
Not published |
5,227 |
|
2012 |
Mr Gerard Mullaly |
The Integrated Continuing Care System (ICCS): Reforming Elderly Care in Ireland |
Not published |
7,558 |
|
2012 |
Matheson Ormsby Prentice |
Options Appraisal of multi-payer universal health insurance models: Preliminary advice |
Not Published |
6,150 |
|
2012 |
Department of Health / SIRA Consulting |
Report on the baseline measurement of the administrative burden from the Department of Health (as part of a cross Departmental project coordinated by Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation) |
Published 2013 |
14,000 |
|
2011 |
Goodbody Stockbrokers and Matheson Ormsby Prentice Solicitors |
Commissioned to undertake a review of the Irish Private Health Insurance Market in relation to the options which may exist for re-balancing |
Report completed |
300,000 |
